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MONTPELIER — Members of a legislative committee that wrote the law setting policies for the operation of Vermont’s online insurance marketplace grilled the Shumlin administration Tuesday about the first month of the website’s malfunctions.

The questions came from lawmakers of all political persuasions, supporters and critics of the Democratic administration’s health reform initiatives.

Rep. Christopher Pearson, P-Burlington, posed the most pointed question to Mark Larson, a former House member from a neighboring district to Pearson’s who is now the administration’s chief spokesman about Vermont Health Connect.

“You assured us we were on target,” Pearson said, reminding Larson of the rosy picture of the website launch that representatives from the Shumlin administration provided to the House Health Care Committee in September. “How am I supposed to have faith in the administration,” Pearson asked, “when we were provided sugar-coated answers?”

Larson defended his assessment of the situation in September, reminding the committee that he always advised that the timelines were tight to develop and launch the federally mandated insurance marketplace.

Larson tried to focus on the accomplishments of the website, sharing recent statistics on its use. Vermont Health Connect has seen 113,618 unique visitors, 11,074 accounts have been created, 6,374 applications for insurance have been initiated, 4,311 applications to determine eligibility for tax credits have been submitted and 2,767 individuals have selected insurance plans.

“What was your projection for this point in time?” asked Rep. John Mitchell, R-Fairfax.

Larson didn’t share any specifics, saying instead, “Without some of the challenges, I think you would have seen more people get further.” By getting further, Larson meant more people would have completed the insurance selection process.

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Larson told the panel that when Massachusetts implemented its online insurance program several years ago, sign-ups spiked at the end of the enrollment period.

Rep. Doug Gage, R-Rutland, said he remained unsure that Vermont Health Connect could handle a last-minute enrollment blitz.

Larson said the contingency options that Gov. Peter Shumlin approved last week should ease worries that people would be without coverage on Jan. 1 because of website troubles. The governor said Vermonters could choose to bypass the troublesome website by temporarily extending their current insurance through March.

Small businesses also have the option to buy directly from the two health insurance companies with products on the website — which hadn’t been allowed previously.

Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington, wanted to pursue Pearson’s point about trust. She asked Larson the basis for the administration’s belief that the website would work when launched.

Larson said the federal government conducted a series of reviews that led to federal approval of Vermont Health Connect. “Then we had testing as well.”

“Are you in a position to give us a live demonstration?” Morrissey asked.

Larson said it was impossible to submit hypothetical information to demonstrate how the website works.

Morrissey also asked if the website was secure.

“People can be sure that their information on Vermont Health Connect is secure and private,” Larson replied.

Rep. Paul Poirier, I-Barre, reminded Larson that insurance representatives had warned about risks given the enormity of the project — requiring 100,000 Vermonters to use a new website to buy their medical coverage with the majority trying to sign up between Oct. 1 and mid-December.

“From now on, is the input from the insurers going to be given consideration?” Poirier asked.

Larson stressed the collaboration that the state has had with insurers — especially since last week when the administration announced the contingency options that call for much more involvement by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Care.

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When Larson tried to clarify that only 70,000 Vermonters faced an imminent deadline to buy new coverage because their insurance plans expired Dec. 31, Morrissey interjected, “That’s was not how it was portrayed.”

Committee Chairman Michael Fisher, D-Lincoln, also voiced criticism of the Vermont Health Connect launch to Larson, a former legislative colleague and chairman of the House Health Committee before Fisher was appointed.

“I will express a fairly strong frustration with the last couple of weeks,” Fisher told Larson. “For many Vermonters, this has been a panicky time, a frustrating time.”

Fisher suggested, however, that it was too soon to judge the new marketplace. He noted that when the federal prescription drug program for the elderly launched in 2006, “That was a very difficult rollout.” He added, “Today I don’t hear people complaining about the functionality of that system.”

Larson acknowledged the widespread frustration with the launch of Vermont Health Connect. “I fully accept the implementation has not gone as we had hoped.”

After he departed the crowded committee room, the panel heard from other witnesses who had both good and bad news about the website.

Representatives of the two insurance companies praised the Shumlin administration for adopting a contingency plan. “We pretty much see this as all positive,” Kevin Goddard of Blue Cross said.

By contrast, Christine Alibrandi, health reform coordinator for Northeast Delta Dental, complained that her company had yet to be called about the contingency plans and had been left out of the discussions on implementing three-month extensions of current policies.

“We certainly expect there will be dialog,” Fisher said, looking across the room to Robin Lunge, director of health care reform for the administration.

“We will talk to you,” Lunge assured Alibrandi, offering to meet in the hall to set up an appointment. “We have been prioritizing major medical.”

Representatives of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce provided the committee with an “experience report” detailing snags that small employers face when they try to arrange coverage for their staffs.

• The system fails to notify workers of the log-on to use to sign up for their employer’s insurance.

• When workers have the required identification and code, the system may still fail to match them with their employers.

• When workers try to select from among the available insurance plans, the system responds with a notice that no plans are available.

“We will continue to put pressure on to get it working,” Fisher said in an interview after the committee meeting ended. “I am sure we are going to need to understand what worked and what didn’t work,” he added, “but it is not clear what the timing of that should be. I don’t want it to be a distraction. I want them to focus on getting it working.”